


Cherry Blossom Roads

by drainbamage954 (cats_cradle6766)



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - College/University, Coming of Age, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-01
Updated: 2013-09-01
Packaged: 2018-09-11 11:27:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 18,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8977819
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cats_cradle6766/pseuds/drainbamage954
Summary: Spring is the time of beginnings, of new life and the hint of budding love between the softly falling flowers.





	1. Chapter 1

Every spring, as the days turn warmer and the last remnants of winter chill finally begin to fade, the world is reborn anew, bursting to bring back to life the world in splashes of color and vitality. All over the country, the world begins to reawaken and prepare for the coming warmth of summer as it drags itself from the dregs of harsh winds and snows.

Along the banks of the Han river, thousands of people gather every year, dressed in lighter clothes for the warmer temperatures, eyes bright and excited and high quality cameras at the ready. Trees have burst into flower as white petals sail through the air like wisps of clouds and light, blanketing everything in a gentle softness. Families gather, friends laugh, and new and old lovers intertwine fingers as they walk along the paths and gaze upon the beauty crafted by nature.

Every year, spring comes and goes and from the inside of a classroom or the confines of his bedroom, Sehun sits and watches with a small smile the petals fall past his window. He wonders vaguely what it would be like to walk along the pathways of Yeouido and laugh and smile with someone’s hand held in his own. But with the never-ending tests and the limits of a social system based on competition and rigidity, the chance never seemed to present itself.

Nor the person.

Spring this year has snuck up, unlike all the previous years. A bitter winter which lasted too long was followed by the sudden explosion of warm winds and vibrant life curling up from the ground in unexpected shoots of green. The world, though primarily seen in concrete and steel, loses the edge of harshness when buds begin and the sweet smell of flowers and fresh earth tinge the air amid the fumes of exhaust.

“What are you doing this Saturday?”

Sehun sighs, leaning back in his chair and frowning just a bit at his notes. It’s the beginning of his first semester and he’s already swamped with work. His roommate seems to be completely absorbed in his own work. Phone cradled against his shoulder, Sehun glances at him before turning to the conversation on the other end of the line.

“Studying?” Sehun offers in explanation for a day buried in the library and pounding information into his skull.

“Wrong.” The answer is immediately thrown back at him and Sehun rolls his eyes for no one but his walls to see. “You’re coming out with us.”

A frown creases Sehun’s mouth as he taps the capped end of his pen against his book. “It’s midterms in two weeks,” he points out, eyes raking over various technical terms, numbers, and symbols that seem to mix together on the page. “I can’t come out this weekend.” His eyes flash to the books stacked on his desk. It’s cram time. Not ‘play around outside time’ regardless of how tempting it is. “You girls have fun.”

“Sehun, I swear you’re wasting your youth,” Jinri sighs over the phone. “Do you enjoy looking like an albino? Come out with us!” Unfortunately for Jinri, her methods of persuasion are not entirely winning her points. Though Sehun does have admit that spending a day wandering around in Seoul is far more tempting than chaining himself to his desk for hours. “I swear, we’ll leave you alone Sunday. Who knows, you may just have fun.” Sehun doesn’t have to see Jinri to know the last part is said with a self-satisfied smirk.

“I’m not losing my youth,” Sehun protests, immediately checking his voice when his roommate throws him a look. His tongue darts out to wet his lips automatically. “I’m trying to focus. You know, my scholarship depends on my academic success.”

“But not on you completely abandoning your social life,” Jinri shoots back.

“I saw you this morning!”

“Class doesn’t count, Flower Boy,” is the immediate comeback. Sehun’s fighting a losing battle. Especially if- “Plus, I already told Sunyoung and Amber you were coming.”

“Why?” Sometimes being ganged up on by a flock of girls isn’t nearly as much fun as people think it might be. Sehun holds back the sigh that threatens to exasperate his friend.

“Because we want you to come!” Jinri says, with a pleading and slightly annoyed edge to her voice. “You can bring your roommate if you want.” Sehun glances over to the other boy, frowning at his books on economics and his tongue is against his lips again.

“Just Saturday?”

Sehun is a pushover.

It's not that Sehun doesn’t want to go to Yeouido. It isn’t that the prospect of going to view the cherry blossoms and the streets lining the Han and the thousands of trees and festive atmosphere filtered with romance is unappealing. It's more of the fact that certain things come with certain concepts. Like celebrating your birthday with your friends for a night out with too much cake, or spending time with family on Chuseok. And it is more common that couples, new and fresh, boy and girl, will walk beneath the freely falling petals of cherry blossoms, hands held and hearts beating fast.

It’s not that Sehun doesn’t want to go to Yeouido and see the cherry blossoms. It’s more that going alone, going without someone to laugh with, to smile with, and who makes his heart beat too fast is what Sehun finds himself missing. The feeling of walking amid the falling white petals as another presses too close but yet not close enough. Holding hands. Cherry blossoms falling like snow. Laughing at each other because you’re just happy you’re together. Something that’s just simple and sweet and horribly cliche but that Sehun still finds himself wanting.

Though finding that with a person Sehun would want beside him isn’t really easy. It’s not someone his mother tells him he needs to find and settle down with one day, someone he can introduce at dinners and to his friends who is slim and slender and carries herself with grace. It’s more someone that is portrayed as a joke, something which doesn’t ‘exist’ here. Someone with a low voice and rough hands and a firm chest to lean against. It’s something Sehun shoves to the back of his mind every time his friends laugh and pull him close, drag him into their laps or lean into him. It’s not what Sehun thinks it is or would like it to be; Sehun learned that long ago.

Walking with someone to smile with, to laugh with, and to feel his heart swell with is something Sehun wants, but something that he has learned to accept he won’t be able to have as easily as his friends.

“What time?” Sehun asks, because telling Jinri that he won’t go because he would rather go with a date sounds artificial. Immature. And Sehun is, if anything, not immature.

Jinri laughs in triumph and it crackles through the receiver.

  
  


* 

Somehow, with just the simple blossoming of trees, the whole of Seoul can be transformed into an ephemeral wonderland in which the falling of white flower petals is like the sigh of pleasantries.

“Would you stop scowling?” Jinri huffs at him as Sehun scans around over the heads and balloons and tries to shake yet more white fluttering petals from his hair. “I swear, if I didn’t know you I’d think you were plotting multiple murders.”

“That’s my face you’re insulting,” Sehun retorts, looking down at Jinri as she rolls her eyes and fiddles with the focus of her camera. “Plus, I didn’t ask to be dragged out here to wander and coo at trees.”

“We’re not cooing at trees,” Amber says, giving him a sideways look and punching him lightly in the arm. Sehun maybe recoils and nearly punches back. However, Sehun was taught that punching back is something you shouldn’t do to a girl. “We’re looking at flowers. As they fall from trees. We’re doing stuff normal people do. You can do that, can’t you Sehun?”

“What, look at flowers?” Sehun says dryly as Jinri raises her camera to her face and snaps another photo of the trees. 

“No,” Soojung says as her hair whips about her. “Be a normal person doing normal person stuff.”

“You’re so funny,” Sehun drawls, directing a very unconvincing smile at her.

Soojung just beams at him. “I know,” is the quipped reply and Jinri laughs.

“I feel like I’m going to be robbed,” Sehun mutters as yet another pack of people pushes past, hauling cameras and tittering excitedly about the thousands of cherry blossom trees lining the walkways. It’s not surprising to find the streets so crowded, especially with the white petals raining down romantically.

“You're not going to be robbed,” Soojung says with her head cocked to the side. “Honestly, it's people in awe over cherry blossoms and taking pictures. No one is going to go ‘hey let’s try to physically assault and/or rob the twig kid’.”

“Fine,” Sehun says, glancing over at her. “I’m worried someone will rob you guys.”

“Awww,” Amber remarks, reaching up and trying to pinch Sehun’s cheeks as he jerks away to avoid the abuse. The smile on Amber’s face is highly amused. “Sehunnie is trying to look out for us.”

“Such a sweetie,” Sunkyu coos as she wraps her arms around Sehun’s arm and drags him closer into the pack of girls she supposedly leads. “Ooh, look at those!”

And they’re off again, laughing and chattering excitedly about the scenery and the blossoms and the beautiful weather.

Sehun doesn’t usually come to this sort of thing. It’s not that he dislikes walking around in flowers with half of Seoul’s population. It’s more that this is just one of those couple things that couples do in his mind. Something which he’s never had the chance to do.

“Hey,” Sunkyu nudges into his side as Sehun is lost in his own thoughts rather than the steady walking pace of the people around them. “You alright there, kiddo?”

“Who are you calling kiddo?” Sehun jokes a bit, nudging back and smiling at her.

“The freshman who is spacing out,” Sunkyu says with a laugh as she shoves Sehun after their gaggle of humans, linking arms with him and pulling him close. “What’s on your mind?”

A lot. Nothing. A strange combination of both. The thoughts swirling about his mind can hardly be considered significant or pressing, but more of just musings. About life. About today. About what Sehun wants and wishes for right now but doesn’t because it’s foolish. About soft smiles and happiness which swells from inside and tickles down his arms. That’s what’s on his mind. “Just stuff,” he finally answers, ducking his head away a bit and trying to hedge from the question and incoming barrage of prying.

“Stuff,” Sunkyu says with a twinkle in her eyes Sehun knows far too well at this point. “What kind of stuff?”

“Stuff stuff,” is a really inadequate answer but Sehun gives it anyway, hoping to dodge the actual topic. “I don't know. Do you want my cotton candy?”

“No,” Sunkyu laughs, pushing away the confection as a cherry blossom petal falls onto her nose. “I’m fine. Amber is holding mine for me while she tries to keep Jinri and Soojung out of trouble.”

“You’re not looking after them?”

“I’m taking care of you,” Sunkyu hums as she strolls. “Which, I can assure you, is far more difficult.” Sehun pouts. Sunkyu laughs and reaches up to pat his cheek affectionately. “Stop, your cute has no effect on me.” Sehun still pouts and Sunkyu returns it double force. “Never battle an aegyo master, Sehunnie.”

Sehun settles for smiling at her rather than actually arguing. She does, after all, have a point. “How long are we going to be here?” Sehun asks as he watches Amber shove cotton candy into Soojung’s mouth. Soojung ends up sputtering as Amber laughs happily.

“Oh, come on,” Sunkyu laughs again, tugging at Sehun’s arm. “What else do you have to do today? Sulk? Attempt contact with your roommate? Sit in the library and wish you were outside?” Sehun raises his head, squinting in the sunlight as he looks over the crowds and avoids the knowing gaze of his friend. “Honestly, if we went without you, you'd just be moodily sitting in the library right now texting us about how bored you are and how much you’d rather be here.”

“Would not,” Sehun mumbles lamely. Sunkyu’s eyes glint knowingly and Sehun sighs. “Okay, maybe a little.”

“Is Sehun whining about being with us again?” Amber asks, slinking back and grinning around the cap of a water bottle.

“No,” Sehun denies. Sunkyu laughs and ruffles his hair. Sehun reaches up with his tongue between his lips in a frown and tries to fix the styling that he had rushed earlier that morning.

In all honesty, it is a gorgeous day. It’s warm, much warmer than it has been, and Sehun is overheating slightly in his jacket. All around them, people are chattering, laughing, smiling and, in some cases, bickering amid the ever steady drifting fall of cherry blossom petals to the earth. Beyond the stretch of street where they’re walking people are sprawled in various positions and temperaments on the grassy stretch before the Han river that separates one half of Seoul from the other.

The sudden excited gasp from Jinri has Sehun and Amber, who were in the middle of chatting, looking up. Jinri is tugging Sunkyu and Soojung over to the side of the road. Underneath one of the many cherry blossom trees is a small group of people. Even from this distance Sehun can hear the soft sounds of music floating around the air. Tripping over feet and space they manage to squeeze between too many people before Sehun is facing a young man singing in a way that has Sehun staring.

The man standing with his guitar slung about his shoulders sings and plays effortlessly as if lost within his own melody, fingers pressing over the fretted neck of a guitar that is clearly loved. The chords are smooth, slipping expertly as eyes close to the music that sings from lips and nylon strings. There’s something that Sehun can’t look away from. Whether it’s the young man and his light jacket that has been worn one too many times or the music which seems to wind amid the flowering branches and bring them even further to life, he can’t entirely tell.

There are cherry blossom petals lingering in dark hair, long bangs swept to the side. His jacket is open to reveal a low cut tank and the guitar case on the ground before him is littered with won coins and printed paper. Somehow, he manages to smile through nearly every word, as if the simple act of singing in the open air is enough to bring him pure happiness.

Beside him, Sunkyu looks up and smiles faintly as Soojung pushes a bit closer, glancing up at the youngest and her eyebrows rise in surprise. “Is Sehun impressed by something?” Soojung asks, voice lowered a bit with mock surprise as Sehun sticks out his tongue at her, pulling his attention from the musician before them. “It’s a miracle.”

“Be nice to me,” Sehun says with a small whine as Sunkyu laughs and the busker’s large brown eyes drift over to them. Sehun quickly tucks his tongue back between his lips.

“Like you’re nice to us?” Soojung hushes back with a small laugh as Sehun finds his gaze wandering to the happily strumming musician.

“I am nice to you,” Sehun retorts lowly. “Well, nicer than I am to, like…”

“Jongin,” Amber immediately supplies as Sunkyu laughs a bit and Sehun presses his lips into a line.

“That’s different,” Sehun says. “Guys don’t have to be nice to each other all the time.”

“Shh,” Sunyoung says, flapping a hand a bit at the group to quieten them as the busker before them continues to sing and strum effortlessly. “You’re being annoying.”

“We’re ruining her fangirl moment,” Jinri whispers none too softly and earns a slightly disapproving look from Sunkyu. She gives her a small apologetic smile before turning to look back at the performer.

“He’s actually good,” Amber comments when the young performer sets into another song after a brief comment to the audience and bows with a few ‘thank yous’ amid a smattering of applause. “Not like half the street performers you see screaming off key.”

“He’s not bad” Sehun agrees, shifting his weight as he watches the musician sing. Sehun doesn’t entirely see himself as a connoisseur of music, his own skills limited to physical movement and what he knows from Jongdae. However, he knows enough to see that the young man standing and singing as if his soul rests within the words, is talented.

“Come on,” Amber nudges and immediately Sunyoung shakes her head, wrapping herself around Sehun’s arm and tugging to keep him in place. Amber’s eyes widen a bit. “Really?”

“Please, can we stay?” Sunyoung asks, looking back over to the busker as he sings and the crowd gently sways to the music. “It's not like we had any plans today anyway.”

Amber looks slightly annoyed for one moment but then shrugs, instead leaning over Soojung and stealing a rice cake from her. It’s oddly pleasant, to stand and watch the young man move slightly to his own music, singing in the sunlight as his fingers fly over the strings of his guitar. Sehun catches himself swaying a few times and every time Sunkyu gives him an amused smile. Beside Sehun, Jinri is clapping along gently to the music, smiling happily as a few people around her join.

“We should tip him,” Soojung says, leaning into the group and glancing between their faces. Sehun bites his lip, eyes flashing to the musician who is smiling at them. Their eyes catch and Sehun looks back to the girls around him, a nervous jump beneath his skin. “What do you guys say? Who wants to donate?” she asks, looking around the group as the musician thanks the audience and mentions a few more songs and a potential break.

Sunkyu smiles brightly. “I don’t see why not.” She tugs out a thousand won. “Who else wants to support an up and coming artist?” Her eyes turn into crescents as Jinri digs into her pocket and pulls out a few bills. Sehun chews his lip. “Do you want to give it to him, Sunyoung?”

Sunyoung colors and immediately shakes her head, bangs flying over her face as she shies back. “No, no. That’s okay.”

“Oh, come on,” Amber teases, slipping her fingers around her wrist and tugging her closer with a smile. “You were the one who wanted to stay and watch.”

Sunyoung colors a bit and shoves Amber away with a frown as Soojung laughs. “I just like the music,” Sunyoung huffs, shoving her bills at Sunkyu and shaking her hair from her face. “Why doesn’t Jinri? She’s cute.”

“If we’re going by cuteness,” Sehun begins, glancing at Sunyoung and raising his eyebrows.

“Then clearly Sehun should be the one to donate,” Soojung cuts in before Sehun can finish and the youngest snaps his mouth closed. Soojung just grins when Sehun looks at her and presses his mouth into a thin disapproving line. “What, you’re always talking about how you’re the worlds prettiest flower boy.”

It had been a joke. Sehun hadn’t meant it when he’d drawled that to his friends over lunch the other day. It had been in jest, when everyone was trying to one up each other on aegyo and Sehun ended up winning only because Jongin had become too embarrassed. It had been a joke. One that Sehun hadn’t expected to be handed back to him. Especially in public.

“I-“

“Maybe you can even talk to him for us,” Jinri says, handing him her own bills and smiling with a wink. “You know, you could always afford to make more friends.” She pauses as Amber gives her a look. “Or make us more friends.”

“See, it’s so much better when you’re honest,” Amber comments as she gently nudges Sehun forward. “Go forth and establish friendship, flower prince,” she says with bright eyes.

“I’m just tipping him,” Sehun grumbles, not bothering to argue with the girls about something they’re clearly all set on. “I’m not asking him to be my best friend.”

“Why not?” Sunkyu asks, and Sehun jerks away, feeling his cheeks color at the coddling. “He seems nice.” Sehun gives her a raised look. “Well, he plays guitar, sings, and is busking on the side of the street. He’s at least interesting.” Sehun habitually sticks his tongue out of his mouth as he looks back over to the musician who is still playing and smiling so pleasantly it makes him both nervous and calm simultaneously. “Just go,” Sunkyu finally says with a laugh, giving Sehun a small shove. “When he finishes this song.”

Sehun is about to protest again when a few strums of guitar strings end the song and the group all breaks into applause. He nearly stumbles when Sunkyu and Soojung both shove him towards the front. A few awkward steps forward to the musician who watches him with bright eyes, mouth curved in a smile as he adjusts his guitar. Sehun swallows as he straightens and tries to appear composed, flashing a small smile before leaning down and dropping the slightly crumpled thousand won notes into the open guitar case.

“Thank you,” says the busking young man and his tones are as gentle as his singing.

“You play really well,” Sehun ends up saying with a smile he doesn't intend to be as large as it is. This garners a smile in return and he blinks, eyes drawn towards the small indent in the man’s cheek.

“I’m glad you think so,” the musician says as his eyes flash just to the side, towards Sunkyu and the others. “I’m actually taking a quick break right now.” The small crowd seems to be breaking up, people drifting into their own conversations and lives and away from the small pocket of music and comfort. Sehun feels as if he’s somehow trapped in his own, standing with a stranger he doesn’t know and chatting as his friends watch.

“Oh,” finally says Sehun, stepping back a bit. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to-“

“No, it’s fine,” the musician cuts him off with a small laugh. “I like company. Are you and your friends here for the festival?”

“Yeah.” Sehun glances back and sees Amber biting her lip as Sunkyu gently nudges and says something to Soojung. Catching his eye, Jinri manages to pull the other girls to attention and they step forward. The busker looks back to Sehun as Sunyoung steps up beside him. “How long have you been playing?” Sehun asks when his friends have yet to speak.

Originally from China and uncaring whether he makes it big or plays for his best friend’s wedding, his name is Zhang Yixing. He’s been playing forever. Music is a part of him. He plays now for fun and for practice, on the side and to bring joy. Spread it around and make people happy. He is a student currently at Hongik University and in his third year. He’s very friendly and laughs easily in a way that is teasing and warm. Sehun finds himself laughing and smiling more than he has in the past few months.

“I hate to break this up,” Yixing says, mid laugh as he looks at the small group that he’s managed to make for himself. “But I think I have to get back.”

“Sorry for keeping you,” Sunyoung says, smiling delightedly. “We didn't mean to take up so much of your time.”

“No,” Yixing says, waving a hand and shifting the set of his guitar around his shoulders. “I love the company.” He gives them all a smile. “I’ll be here all day,” he adds with a wink.

Sehun finds himself laughing at the teasing tone as Sunkyu hides her laugh behind a hand.

“Actually,” Yixing says, turning and stooping down, pulling open a large rucksack and digging into it. “I’m playing later this week. At Hongdae. Here,” he pulls out a small card and a pen, quickly uncapping it and holding the plastic cap in his teeth as he scribbles something down intently. A moment later he straightens, handing the card to Sehun with a brilliant smile. “Come by if you can. Free show and good music.” He laughs a bit at himself as Sehun’s fingers close over the offered card.

“Thanks,” Sehun says, looking down at the card and the hastily scribbled words that are, none the less, legible.

“I hope to see you there,” Yixing says with another smile and Sehun smiles back without thinking.

"We should go," Soojung says with a distant expression as they're halfway down the road, wandering among cherry blossoms and the spring air blows around them gently. Sehun glances over at her, his fingers curled in his jacket pocket and brushing gently over the card that is resting there and waiting in a gentle coax of invitation.

"Yeah?" Amber says, chewing her lip slightly and glancing over with a curious expression.

"He was good," Jinri agrees with a nod, skipping ahead slightly with her hands gently clasped behind her back. "Besides, how many up and coming musicians do we know?"

"Well-" Sehun begins, tilting his head to the side slightly.

"Chanyeol and Jongdae's weird rock and roll emo pop band doesn't count," Sunkyu says nudging him in the side. "Besides, Chanyeol's econ and Jongdae is doing that whole business path thing."

“So, are we going?" Sunyoung asks, her face bright at the idea. "I mean, he was so friendly. Might be fun!"

  
  


* 

Sehun forgot his lipbalm. His lips feel raw as he sits and waits with Jinri and Sunkyu as Jongin fiddles on his phone. Jongin still seems slightly intimidated by the near endless chatter of the girls around them. "I thought you had a quiz tomorrow," he asks, looking over to Sehun when he shifts his weight. "Shouldn't you be studying?"

Sehun nudges his friend with his elbow. "I'll be fine," he says, glancing down at the phone in Jongin's hand. "What about you? I thought you had that history assignment."

"Done," Jongin mutters easily, barely glancing around. "You owe me for this."

"Do not," Sehun says, poking him in the side and Jongin flinches a bit, wincing and frowning at him in disapproval.

"Stop torturing Jongin," Sunkyu badgers and Sehun nearly protests that he wasn't when a hand suddenly comes to rest against his back and he turns at the sound of a cheerful greeting.

"You came!" Yixing is smiling, his eyes pushed up into bright crescents as the dimple in his cheek presses further. The dimmer light of the coffee house seems to drag it into further contrast, the shadows around them pressing lines deeper. His cheekbones are prominent and Sehun blinks a bit, tongue darting out to wet dry lips. "I almost didn't think I'd see you guys here but, well-" he trails off and Sehun finds himself smiling.

"Well, here we are," Sehun says stepping back a bit to look at Yixing. His hair is still soft about his face, bangs fluttering just above his eyes. "How long are you playing tonight?"

"Just a few sets," Yixing answers, glancing around the group. "There's a few other people playing tonight. I'm playing after the first set."

"How long are the sets?" Sunkyu asks. Jongin remains glued to his phone, glancing up a few times. Sehun resists the urge to grab it from him, shoving it into his own pocket to keep Jongin from completely disconnecting himself from socialization. Sehun brought him here to hang out with friends and have fun. Not play on his phone.

"About thirty minutes each," Yixing answers, nodding and smiling to Amber as she walks back and gives him a happy cock of the head, a tray of various assorted café drinks balanced in her hands.

"So you won't be on for a while?" Sehun asks as Yixing looks back to him with eyes that seem just as warm as they had in the sunlight of Yeouido.

"Not for a bit," Yixing says. "How were the flowers?"

Sehun pauses for a moment before he realizes what Yixing is referring to. "Pretty," he finally admits. "The weather was so nice the whole day. How long were you playing for?"

"A few hours," Yixing muses, finally dropping the hand that had lingered against Sehun's back and tucking it gently in his jeans pocket. "I ended up making a pretty good haul too." He glances up at Sehun. "Did you get a coffee?"

Sehun's eyebrows furrow at the question as Amber laughs a bit beside them. "Sehun is too stingy to get coffee. He and Jongin both are starving university students."

Yixing presses his lips together for a moment, cocking his head to the side as he looks to Amber before humming slightly. "So are you okay with coffee though?"

Sehun frowns, watching Yixing beside him and wondering if he is asking for his own curiosity or if he's offering. "Yes?"

"I like milk tea," Yixing says, smiling faintly, lips turning up as he looks sideways to Sehun. "It's nice." His eyes slide to Jongin and Sehun fidgets. "How about you?"

Jongin shrugs, mumbling something incoherent as he stuffs his hands into his pockets and ducks his head slightly. "He usually gets those sugary mixed coffee drinks," Sehun answers for him and Jongin kicks at his feet in response, scrunching up his nose slightly at the vaguely exasperated tone in Sehun's voice. "I usually just get bubble tea but I don't think they have it here."

Yixing makes a small humming sound as he looks back around the coffee house. "Bubble tea, huh."

"He's addicted," Jongin supplies with a look over to the younger boy and Sehun pushes him in the shoulder. Jongin just grins.

"I am not," Sehun tries to defend himself even as Jinri laughs at bit at the small pout that emerges on his features. "I just like it, is all."

The lights flicker and Yixing jerks, looking up and around as the people gathered hush at the sudden change. "We should sit," the musician says quickly, maneuvering himself around a bit. "They're starting soon."

Sehun watches as Yixing steps from him, slipping from his side to push Jongin and Sunyoung to better viewing spots with an easy smile on his face. "Are you-" Yixing looks up. "Nevermind." Sehun says and looks away. Yixing is here performing. He most likely has a lot of other friends here. Friends who are waiting for him and not feeling awkward in the shallows of new friendships. Laughing and joking and natural and Sehun's fingers press against the insides of his pockets gently.

“I'll be right back." Yixing turns and Sehun looks to the stage, watching as a pretty girl with long dark hair walks up on stage. Sehun feels Jongin bump into his shoulder, phone finally put away and eyes directed to the stage. Beside him and seated in the soft squishy chairs, Sunyoung tugs at his jacket hem.

"Hey, slick," she says, looking up at him with a bright smile. "Wanna play a game?"

"Am I guaranteed to lose?" Sehun asks, one eyebrow raised in question.

Sunyoung rolls her eyes as the girl on stage tests into the mic, soft sweet voice sounding over the audience. "No," she says and swats him gently. "It's not that kind of game."

“Am I guaranteed to win, then?" Sehun asks instead and Soojung coughs a laugh into her drink, Amber reaching over an immediately patting her on the back.

"That depends," Sunyoung says, skirting the topic and Sehun bends down a bit, crouching to speak to her without completely disrupting the performance. "But it could be fun, that much I can assure you."

“I'm listening," Sehun says, propping his chin on his hands and biting his bottom lip in attentiveness.

"Have you ever played matchmaker?" Sunyoung asks, eyes playful. Sehun blinks, face opening in surprise at the question as he looks to his friend and draws a blank. Sunyoung gives him a small smile. "Because I was thinking you should totally try to set us up."

"Who?" is Sehun's immediate question. He's here with Jongin. His closest friend. He's close with Chanyeol and Jongdae, the two guys he met through Jongin and he's fairly good friends with his programming TA, Kyungsoo, but he's never thought of Sunyoung being interested in any of the people he knows. According to most of his friends, his friends are just that. He's heard them praised for their looks, their talents, their merits, just as he's complimented himself, but nothing that would-

"Yixing," Sunyoung says with a roll of her eyes and a poke to his chin, as if the answer were completely obvious. "He's so nice. And cute and talented and-"

"And Sunyoung has been nursing a crush on him since she was seduced by cherry blossoms," Amber finishes and Sunyoung sticks out her tongue at the other girl.

Yixing. The busker with a dimple who is friendly and invites total strangers to see him perform at a coffee house. The young man who is warm without effort and who plays and sings with a softness that Sehun appreciates and who seems to be friends before getting past the introduction phases. That Yixing.

"Really?" Sehun asks, looking between Amber and Sunyoung as Jongin nudges him to be quiet, his eyes on the girl singing into the microphone.

"Well, can you?" Sunyoung asks, tugging at Sehun's jacket cuff and looking at him with bright eyes.

Mind turning over the idea, images of Yixing's kind and smiling face drifting through his mind, he thinks over his friends. "I don't really know him," he finally says. "None of us do." Sunyoung gives a small huff and Soojung sniggers. "I'm just thinking-"

"Please, Sehun?" Sunyoung asks, tugging insistently and Sehun sighs, finally putting out his cheeks in defeat.

"Fine, I'll ask," Sehun says, flashing a smile at his friend and earning a delighted grin.

"You're the best, Sehun," Sunyoung chirps as Sehun stands again and focuses on the performer.

The sounds of the coffee shop drown out as Sehun stands and watches the girl singing gently. His eyes drift, scanning over people lazily, tongue absently stuck between lips as his gaze slips over faces and bodies and doesn't focus. His attention wanders, flickering over his own commitments and plans and the friends around him.

It's nice. Pleasant to stand here and enjoy, listen to music idly and appreciate the live performance of someone who is here for their own love of it; the molding and grace of chords, singing a personal composition. He can see two other people standing by the stage, performers judging by the instruments beside them, watching the girl perform. They occasionally comment to each other, heads tilting together with comfortably easy smiles on their faces. . Yixing stands by them, a small group of others around him as he watches the girl sing. His eyes flicker over to Sehun and crease at the edges in a smile.

Sehun gives a small start before an automatic returned smile he can’t stop. Sehun has to look away, eyes flicking back to the girl in the lights.

Sehun doesn't watch the time, alternating between soft conversation and quiet jokes and watching the girl on stage.

"Good, isn't she?"

Sehun jumps a bit, turning to see Yixing standing beside him, hands in his pockets and smiling. Sehun blinks as Yixing looks to him from the side. "She's really sweet too. Just a freshman this year. Innate talent."

“What about your talent then?" Sehun asks, settling beside the other and smiling a bit.

"Naturally born," is the immediate response as Yixing answers with dead seriousness upon his face. "I was just born amazing." Sehun stares, eyes flickering over Yixing's before catching the shine in them and coughing back a laugh. That earns him a smile that is bright even in the dimmed lighting. "I'll be going on soon. I hope you enjoy."

"We will," Sehun says with a reassuring smile and Yixing's eyes flicker. Beside him, Sunyoung nudges him gently he shifts his weight. "Good luck."

Yixing’s dimple presses with shadowed emphasis into his face as he flashes another smile. "Thanks," is said with sincerity that has Sehun blinking. "Stick around after?"

"Sure," is Sehun’s automatic easy response. There's no reason Sehun and the others would leave. There's nothing pressing to keep them from staying. Aside from the subways, which stay open until midnight. It's not nearly late enough for such time constraints.

"Why didn't you ask him?" Sunyoung asks, poking him in the stomach and earning a frown.

"I will," Sehun says, nudging her gently. His eyes travel and follow Yixing as the other man weaves to the other side of the room, striking up a conversation with a few unfamiliar faces standing there. Probably his friends.

Three more songs and the girl excuses herself. After a small smattering of applause, Yixing steps on stage and smiles, looking around the audience. "Good evening," he greets, getting a smattering of response from the assembled people. "Thank you for all coming out tonight. I imagine you could be in far more pressing and important places but yet here you are, standing and sitting and some of you in the back using the wall. So, thank you." A small smile. "I have a few things tonight, some which you may know, some which you might not. We'll find out." There is no more preamble, no more introduction, instead just the simple test of guitar strings and the close of eyes before the show begins.

Sehun may have watched Yixing before, standing on the streets of Yeouido and singing in the open air with a guitar slung about his neck, but watching him on stage, lights on his figure as a mic carries his voice, is enough to have him riveted. Yixing transforms on stage. While in Yeouido he'd be carefree and happy, on the small stage he glows, a sense of impressive purpose emanating from him as he sings with his heart and the emotions of the song melt into the words. It takes Sehun a moment before he realizes he's too wrapped up in the sound of Yixing's singing to catch what he's actually singing about.

Fingers fly, eyes close and Yixing goes between wrapping himself into the songs completely, happy and sad and fast and slow to teasing the audience with smiles between verses. When Sehun catches himself bobbing his head or dancing absently to the songs for the fifth time, he gives up, just smiling as he drifts into the sounds of Yixing's voice. It's sweet, with a definite tone to it that is captivating and draws Sehun in like a kind caress. He smiles without hesitation when Yixing's eyes flicker over to him and rest. Yixing smiles, his mouth tugging up at the corners and the lights send golden highlights about him.

Sehun has heard of people in their element but has never seen it before tonight.

"You're enjoying yourself," Jongin mumbles from the side. Sehun jerks to look at him, snapped out of his own thoughts and captivation Yixing’s performance has lulled him into. Jongin raises his eyebrows and says nothing more. Sehun realizes then that he's smiling unreservedly.

Turning back to the stage, Sehun catches Yixing's eyes on him again just before the musician starts in on his last song. Sehun nearly pulls back, thinking perhaps he's being a bit silly. Then Yixing's smile widens and he winks, fingers plucking a few chords before slipping into the final song with enthusiasm.

“You were great," is the first thing out of his mouth and sounds horribly standard and artificial after the soft, easy, and yet fun performance. Sehun has seen a lot of performances, been to quite a few shows, but something about watching Yixing drew him in unlike any ohters. Yixing stares at him, mouth twitching and eyebrows raised. "Really, I know that we saw you earlier on the street but this was also really good."

"Think I'll make it big time?" Yixing asks.

"Absolutely," Sehun says, nodding and grinning back. The girls are back by the coffee bar, having already offered their own words of praise to the musician before leaving him to Sehun who keeps getting flashed looks from Sunyoung. "Really, you'll be up there in shining lights. Ever tried out for Super Star K or Voice Korea?"

Yixing laughs a bit, weight easily shifting as the sound skates over the coffee house. There is a short break between performers, the hour mark giving the audience time to order drinks, browse around, and talk together easily. "No, nothing like that," he says shaking his head slightly. His bangs shift a bit and Sehun nearly reaches out to fix them back into place. He holds his hands back though, fingers, twisting together to stop himself . "This is mostly just for fun. Though it definitely has its perks." He raises his eyebrows and Sehun smiles without knowing why.

Sunyoung throws him another look and Sehun’s nerves twang uncomfortably. Right. "So, your girlfriend couldn't make it to the performance?" Sehun asks, trying for subtlety. He's pretty sure he's not entirely successful when Yixing laughs lightly and coughs. Sehun looks away and to his feet, trying to hide his own discomfort.

"Yeah," Yixing hums a bit. "It was really hard for her to come tonight." Sehun nods in understanding, mouth forming a small circle as he stores the information away. "Especially considering she doesn't exist."

Oh.

Yixing doesn't laugh, just continues to smile as Sehun pauses, tongue nervously at his lips again. "Oh," is sadly the most intelligent thing Sehun can manage at the moment. "That's-"

"Interesting?" Yixing completes for him. "Too bad? Depressing? Good?"

Good.

"Well, I just-" Sehun fumbles over words. "You see, I have this friend who was curious."

Yixing's smiles and Sehun's own mouth creases in nervousness. "Oh really?"

Sehun sighs a bit too quickly. "Yeah," Sehun says, looking over at Sunyoung and Soojung who are watching him without much bother to hide how blatant it is. Yixing turns and his eyes catch on the girls, Sunyoung ducking away cutely before smiling, a small blush on her cheeks. Sehun recognizes the look.

"Ah," Yixing says slowly, giving a long calculated nod before turning back to Sehun and settling, leaning to the side and looking to Sehun easily. "Sorry, but they're, um-" he pauses, teeth pressing momentarily into his lower lip as his eyes narrow in search for a proper word. "They're not really my type," he finishes and Sehun feels a small sense of defeat as well as relief.

"So, what is your type?" Sehun finds himself asking before really thinking about it.

Yixing tilts his head to the side, laughing a bit as he watches Sehun's face crease in confusion before stepping back. "Come on," Yixing says rather than answering his question. "Do you want something? My treat."

Sehun has met defeat. A part of him sits and smolders over how to talk to Sunyoung and tell her that he isn't entirely the best to match make for her. Please try again. Ask someone else. Someone with extensive wingman experience. Baekhyun, for example. "Really?" he asks instead, perking up slightly at the prospect of free food.

"Unless you want to treat me," Yixing throws back, wandering towards the coffee bar

"I don't have money," Sehun says, shoving his hands in his pockets. He has a T-money card. But that's about it.

"Well then," Yixing says, smiling over his shoulder as he steps to the cafe bar and looks at Sehun expectantly. "What'll it be?" He smiles and it makes Sehun smile as well.

Sunyoung looks vaguely disappointed before sighing and moving on. Amber watches him with an amused smile and Yixing ends up trading phone numbers with him, telling him to let him know when he's free. It is with a sense of unwillingness that Sehun finally bids farewell to Yixing who has barely left his side. The subway home has the group chattering as Sehun flits in between conversation and the lingering soft voice in the back of his mind.

Sehun gets a Kakao on the train back thanking him for coming to the show and a smiley face. Sunkyu reads it over his shoulder as Jongin leans his head against the doors of the subway and dozes. "He's seems really nice," Sunkyu says, nudging into Sehun's side.

"He does," Sehun agrees, typing back a short message and adding a few useless lines of laughing and emoticons. He looks up from his phone to see her watching him. "Why?"

“No reason," Sunkyu says loftily.

“Remind me never to ask you to matchmake for me again,” Sunyoung huffs, nudging his foot with her own with a small pout. “You suck at it.”

Sehun frowns a bit, still feeling a little bad as Amber scoffs and pokes Sunyoung in the cheek, the other girl jerking away. “Not everyone is going to be instantly interested in you,” Amber tells her. “Don’t be jealous that Yixing just happened to like Sehun more than you.”

Sehun opens his mouth to say something before realizing he doesn’t know what. But before he can figure out how to apologize for newly formed friendships, Sunyoung is kicking him lightly again and saying with a mock severe face “I’ll let you off this once, I suppose.” And it’s okay.

“I’ll make it up to you,” Sehun tells her, nudging back with a toe as she smiles.

“Ice cream works,” Sunyoung says as Sehun’s phone vibrates in his hand. She turns to Amber as Sehun looks down to the mobile device.

Yixing asks him what he's doing Wednesday. Sehun feels a small jump of excitement when he reads the message before he smiles and types back a response.


	2. Chapter 2

Yixing laughs at him when the large bite of food has him flinching and gasping in surprise. He's used to spicy food but this slams into him a bit more intensely than he'd expected. "Too hot?" is asked and Sehun fans his mouth, breathing air over the sensitized nerves of his tongue because damn that's hot.

"Ow!" is the immediate and most practical response Sehun can give and Yixing laughs. Sehun grabs the small pitcher of water and immediately refills his glass, drinking gratefully before sighing. "I thought you said this place was normal food."

"It is," Yixing says, popping a piece of seasoned meat into his mouth and chewing happily. "Maybe if you blow on it, it'll help." Sehun pouts a bit and earns another slightly stuttered laugh. They're in Sincheon, getting dinner. Yixing had asked him if he was busy and Sehun had seen no reason to decline. It's fun. Yixing is fun. Yixing is friendly. He's warm. He's kind and funny and interesting and easy to talk to. 

"So if you don't want to be a super star, what is it then?" Sehun asks, halfway through the meal of cooked meat and side dishes.

"I'd actually like to go into teaching it rather than performing," Yixing says with a hum. "Music education. Because what's better for spreading the love of music than introducing the young impressionable minds to the joys of sonata and listening to those first tries on an instrument?" Sehun can think of a great many things but considers that the dreams of a computer programmer and a future music teacher are not entirely the same. "What about you? Planning on being the next Steve Jobs?"

"Nah," Sehun says, picking up a cooked piece of meat and popping it into his mouth. "I'm going for Bill Gates. He's got the money and he's still alive."

"Sounds solid," Yixing says, grinning around his chopsticks and Sehun hums in agreement.

Yixing pays, batting away Sehun's hand and laughing a bit. Sehun mumbles his thanks and leans in slightly, settling into personal space and smiling in appreciation as Yixing hands over the total. "You can get the coffee," Yixing says easily and Sehun blinks.

"There's coffee?" Sehun asks, blinking a bit as Yixing leads them from the restaurant into the swarming streets and lined paths of Sincheon.

"No," Yixing says. "You said you like bubble tea, right?"

Sehun blinks, not expecting Yixing to remember the small fact about him. "Really?"

"I'm asking you," Yixing points out though it seems Sehun's enthusiasm answered for itself as Yixing grins and turns down a side street.

Sehun just smiles, falling into step beside Yixing and glancing to him, letting out a laugh as he sees soft brown eyes meet his own and crinkling up in amusement. It’s easy, walking together and chatting. Sehun finds that he does like Yixing. He’s sweet in action and demeanor even if the constant hint of mischief is present in a way that makes Sehun almost enjoy him more. Yixing laughs and jokes and Sehun doesn’t tiptoe like he does with some of the girls or at times when Jongin flinches rather than laughs at some of his quips.

Yixing gets milk tea. Sehun gets chocolate. Yixing pays before Sehun can even reach for his wallet and just hums, mouth curved in a complacent smile as Sehun stands beside him and mutters a quick thanks. They talk at one of the small tables in the warm spring air about everything and nothing.

“No, I’m serious,” Yixing says as Sehun laughs and covers his face with his hands. His eyes are pressed up into small slits of amusement as he watches Sehun continue to laugh. “Really, cows moo differently depending on where they are.”

Sehun was not expecting this sort of thing. “You can’t be serious,” he rasps, finally calming enough to pull his hands from his face and look at Yixing without embarrassment.

Yixing shakes his head just slightly, bangs shifting over his eyes. “Why do you think there are so many dialects and accents within a language?” he points out and Sehun pauses. “There’s a cause for it. It’s all environment. Just like how beer tastes different because of the water of the region. Beer from Germany tastes different from beer in Belgium or Korea.”

Sehun frowns a bit, taking in the information. “So cows moo differently because of the water?”

“Just because of everything,” Yixing says, taking another sip as people pass and walk about their lives, taking little interest in the small pocket of conversation woven in and about the small plastic table and chairs. “You shouldn’t do that, by the way.”

Sehun blinks when Yixing’s eyes don’t leave him. “Do what?” he asks in confusion as the milk bubble tea is set down easily. Yixing’s hands settle on the table, clasped together gently as he leans forward, smiling.

“Cover your face when you laugh,” Yixing says, his eyes twinkling into stars as they try to hide from view. But they’re there and Sehun feels his tongue dart out to wet his lips before he thinks. “You look nice when you laugh,” Yixing says, head tilting just marginally to the side.

Sehun blinks, the comment catching him off guard, before registering the compliment and ducking his head, smiling. “Thanks,” he says, trying not to smile too much because he barely knows Yixing. Barely knows him and to be so warmed and happy about a simple comment feels a bit odd. But there it is.

Yixing just smiles and takes another sip of bubble tea.  
  


* 

  
  


**‘What are you doing on Friday?’**

Sehun receives on his Kakao, phone vibrating in his pocket during his afternoon lecture and he jumps before checking it briefly. Soojung gives him a curious look as he fiddles with the device under the desk. Sehun flashes her a small innocent smile before swiping in the lock code on his phone.

**’Nothing?’**

**‘Excellent.’**

Then nothing. Sehun frowns at his phone for a bit, checking it periodically during the rest of class but to no avail. There is no new message.

“What are you doing?” Soojung asks, prodding him in the side with her pencil as the professor begins talking about the homework for next class.

Sehun sits back, tongue flashing out as he hastily shoves his phone back into his pocket. “Nothing,” he says, glancing over at his friend and flashing her a smile. “Why?”

Soojung raises her eyebrows. “You’ve been checking your phone through the entire class,” she says, leaning across her desk to Sehun and tapping the end of her pen against his arm. 

The slight heat that races over his cheeks has Sehun pulling back, shoving his things into his bag hastily as the professor dismisses them and he stands. Throwing his bag over his shoulder he shrugs at Soojung’s unconvinced face. “It was nothing. Really. I just was checking for messages.”

Soojung’s eyes light up. “From who?”

What are you doing on Friday?

The light brush against his nerves is something Sehun pushes aside hastily. “No one important,” he says waiting for Soojung to fall into step beside him, the weight of his phone against his leg and bumping gently as he walks. “Do you want to grab something from the dining halls before the next lecture?”

“Don’t you try to change the subject,” Soojung says and jabs him in the side with her elbow, earning a sharp gasp and a frown.

Sehun frowns. “I was just checking for a message,” Sehun finally says, adjusting the strap of his bag as he strides in the direction of the science complexes. “Nothing important.”

Soojung gives him a skeptical look but doesn’t press, instead just waving him off, telling him she can’t grab food now but they should get lunch. Sehun waves back.

Sitting down, Sehun’s phone vibrates.

**Want to catch a movie? The new Iron Man is out and none of my friends are interested. Want to go?’**

Sehun’s phone sits on his desk through the entire lecture, hidden just under his notes as he glances at it between equations and terms and various notes about matrixes and main frames.

“What are you doing this weekend?” Jongin asks, tossing both his bag and himself into an armchair with a loud exaggerated sigh before shifting and looking over. He’s already shuck the winter coat he barely wore at the beginning of the semester and is already adopting the light clothing he insists is better because of ‘over heating’.

Sehun shrugs and goes back to his notes. “Nothing much.”

“Want to go out?” Jongin suggests, fingers tapping idly at the side of the chair as he watches Sehun lazily. “It’s still the beginning of the semester and we haven’t been out clubbing yet. We could go on Friday.”

The sum of the square root of Friday night plans is-

“I’m busy on Friday,” Sehun mumbles, pencil tapping against his lip gently as he frowns at the swarm of numbers before him, mixing on the page.

“Oh,” is all that Jongin says for a long time. He’s waiting for Sehun to explain what he’s doing, tell him why he can’t go out. Sehun doesn’t answer, instead frowning at his homework and rolling over smiles and light conversations in his mind.

The CGV isn’t overly crowded. At least no more than Sehun expects on a Friday night. Sehun finds Yixing standing by the ticket machines and waves, smiling as he makes his way over. Yixing’s eyes focus and a smile is offered.

“Hey,” Yixing says, clapping Sehun’s hand briefly in a half-high-five, half-hand-shake, holding one, two, three seconds too long before dropping and easing a hand to the small of Sehun’s back instead. “Glad you could make it,” Yixing continues, gesturing Sehun towards the theater entrance and smiling all the time. “I had a few things today I needed to get done before we could meet up. I hope you don’t mind.”

Giving a quick shake of his head, Sehun looks down at Yixing, the warm guiding hand pressing gently to him and confirming their destination. “No, it’s fine. What were you doing?”

“Helping a friend,” Yixing says, digging into his pockets with his free hand and frowning slightly. He makes a small ‘ah’ sound before dragging out a crumpled receipt paper and smiling. “He asked for my help on his senior showcase and I figured I’d do what I could.”

“Did you already buy the tickets?” Sehun asks, looking at the receipt paper.

“Yep,” Yixing says flashing him a smile. “We’re on the aisle. Want something to drink?”

Yixing likes cola. Or cider, if Sehun remembers correctly, but tonight it’s cola and a bucket of popcorn that Yixing pays for, waving off Sehun’s offer. “It’s on me,” Yixing says with a smile and Sehun briefly considers that this is the second time Yixing has treated him before simply uttering a soft ‘thank you, hyung’ and accepting his own drink.

When the theater falls into darkness, Sehun glances to the side to see Yixing, eyes fixed on the screen and mouth parted slightly as he watches avidly. Turning his own gaze to the screen, Sehun smiles. It’s comfortable. Far more comfortable than Sehun would have expected.

Yixing reacts. Not in the same way that Jongin flinches at the loud sounds in a horror film or Jinri and Sunyoung gasp and squeak. No, instead Yixing involves himself in the film, gasping appropriately, laughing softly but clearly at the comedic hints, and sighing where it is called for. He presses his fingers over his mouth at plot twists.

“How was it?” Yixing asks, stretching a bit as the ending credits start and the lights come back.

“The movie?” Sehun asks absently.

“No,” Yixing says, face set. “The popcorn.”

There is a pause before Sehun realizes the joke and is laughing. Yixing joins him with a smile. “It was good,” Sehun says, pushing himself to his feet and following Yixing from the theater. Somehow a movie that spans two and a half hours doesn’t seem long enough. Not quite. The kernels of popcorn rattle about the bottom of the cardboard bucket. “I liked it.”

  
  


* 

  
  


 

By the time Yixing waves Sehun off as Sehun disappears between the sliding doors of the subway, it’s close to midnight and the last train has almost left. _Message when you get home_ is left ringing in Sehun’s ears as he stifles a yawn and leans against the subway doors, eyes closing.

The taste of sweet strawberry smoothie rests in his mouth and the sound of Yixing’s voice rambling on about comic books and movie soundtracks and everything under the moon echoes in the back of Sehun’s mind. The train jerks and the voice of the announcer tells Sehun quietly he’s reached his stop.

Jongin doesn’t ask the next morning. Instead, the information just falls out of Sehun’s mouth like most conversation does and Jongin stares at him blearily from across the table. “It’s too early for you to be rambling,” Jongin groans before shoving his face into his hands, brown hair sticking up all over the place. Sehun sighs and sits back, mind flitting about. It takes a napkin hurled across the table and colliding with him before Sehun realizes he’s been talking aloud to himself.

It becomes a sort of thing. A phone buzzing gently in class and a message flashing across a screen. Asking plans and meaningless conversation that goes in circles but never gets old.

**‘What are you doing this weekend?’**

**‘Lunch was horrible. I hope you ate well.’**

**‘Never be computer science major.’**

**‘I don’t think I’ll have that problem, considering I’m music?’**

**‘I forgot my keys :(. Again.’**

**‘Pabo~’**

**‘ >8[‘**

**‘Hwaiting!’**

“Is this the same guy from Yeouido?” Jinri asks, pushing in beside Sehun during dinner and quickly snatching his phone from his hands, grinning as Sehun tries to grab for it. “The one that played guitar?”

“Give that back,” Sehun huffs, trying to grab the phone but being thwarted as Jinri passes the phone off to Tao. “Tao,” Sehun tries, reaching for his phone from Tao who quickly maneuvers it out of reach.

“What guy you met at Yeouido?” Tao asks instead. It’s nearly the middle of May now and Tao is frowning as he tries to punch in Sehun’s lock code for his phone. “Why haven’t I heard about this?”

“Because Sehun is greedy and keeps him all to himself,” Soojung says elbowing into his side as she sets down her dinner. Sehun frowns at her as she plucks the phone from Tao’s fingers.

“Who is this guy?” Tao asks, giving up on the phone and turning to Soojung. Sehun is still trying to grab his phone from Soojung. She smiles brilliantly as she keeps it just out of reach.

“A guy from Hongdae,” Jinri says, picking up her steel chopsticks and fussing with a bit of kimchi on her tray. “We met him in Yeouido while he was busking and ended up going to a performance of his. Nice guy. Sehun hordes him.”

“I do not!” Sehun snaps, finally snatching his phone back and sitting back down with a huff. “Besides, since when was I not allowed to have other friends?” He looks over at Soojung who shrugs.

“You can have other friends,” Jinri says as Sehun taps the ends of his chopsticks to his lips and frowns. “We never said you couldn’t.” She smiles and Sehun returns one before poking at his mung beans. “We’re just curious.”

“Do we get to meet him?” Tao asks, kicking Sehun gently under the table, dark eyes wide in interest.

Sehun shrugs and settles into his lunch, trying to distract from the topic of his new friend and instead asking Soojung how her ethics lecture was this morning. This fortunately launches her into a long story of how the professor doesn’t seem to understand how ethics clearly works and Sehun’s phone rests safely in his lap.

-

 

A young man with sand brown hair that sticks up everywhere stands beside a taller guy whose face is set with stark features. They appear to be arguing about something as a girl laughs and adjusts her backpack. The sky is clear this morning and the weather is predicted to be fine and warm. Yixing, standing with hair swept back from his face, laughs at the groups conversation, clapping his hands in amusement before spotting Sehun and pausing.

“Am I late?” Sehun asks, walking up and feeling nervous. Three unfamiliar pairs of eyes move to rest on him as he approaches and feels incredibly out of place.

“No, sorry, we’re early,” Yixing tells him, his voice still laughing as he walks forward and quickly pulls Sehun forward, grinning at the other three present. “Guys, this is Sehun. Sehun these are some my friends.”

“Some? You make it sound like you have so many, Xing Xing,” the sandy haired guy says, shaking his bangs from his face as he grins at Yixing. “Don’t lie to the poor boy.”

“Opposed to you, who knows half the world as your best friend,” the taller guy says, looking down with a faintly amused expression.

“Hey, it’s hard being friend with everyone. I take the task with grace,” is the clipped retort and Sehun bites his lip to hold back a laugh he isn’t sure is appropriate. “Luhan,” names himself as he holds out a hand, steady and purposeful with a broad smile to accompany it.

“Nice to meet you,” Sehun says as Yixing digs into his knapsack beside him.

“Likewise,” Luhan says before jerking his head towards the tall man beside him. “This is Yifan but please call him Kris. It annoys him.” Sehun blinks as the man rolls his eyes. “And that’s Song Qian. But you can call her Victoria. Like the Queen, mostly because she is one.”

Sehun nods, trying to push down the jitters in his stomach as Luhan and the other two grin at him and watch him. It feels expectant and Sehun isn’t quite sure what he’s supposed to do.

“Are we ready to go?” is asked beside him and Sehun turns to see Yixing throwing his bag back over his shoulders.

It’s a gorgeous day and thankfully they’re all up early enough that the paths up Bukhansan aren’t overly crowded. Yifan and Luhan end up taking the lead, Victoria wedged between them while Sehun and Yixing take up the rear. The fresh air is a nice change from the stale air of Seoul and Sehun smiles as his feet crunch over the path. “Don't mind Luhan,” Victoria says, dropping back a step and smiling kindly at Sehun. “He can be a bit of a handful but is really a great guy.” Ahead of them, Luhan is performing an elaborate poking game that seems very one sided with Yifan, who frowns without venom.

“Very funny,” Yixing adds beside him and smiles at Sehun, dimple winking as he mouths ‘hilarious.’

“You’re one to talk,” Victoria laughs and Yixing immediately puts on an astonished face.

“Me?” he says, tone incredulous. Sehun giggles a bit as Victoria laughs and loops her arm with Sehun, marching them up the forest path.

“So, Sehun,” Victoria asks, settling them into a pace as Luhan yells something to Yixing and the other walks up to join the other boys. “You’re at Yonsei, right?”

Sehun nods, tearing his eyes away from Yixing’s grin as he turns to look at the older girl. “Yep. Are you also at Hongdae?”

“Ehwa,” Victoria says with a smile. “Met this crazy lot a while back in first year. Back when Yixing was still a performance major and refused to accept he couldn’t take his alcohol.” She laughs and Sehun feels a bit less awkward. “What are you studying?”

Talking with Victoria is easy, Sehun realizes, after he’s ended up getting completely off the topic of his major and instead ended up babbling about computer designs and Jongin’s inability to understand anything remotely related to how to properly operate his computer. Victoria listens well, telling Sehun about her own world within university, the crazy stories about Luhan and how Yifan is actually a huge softie, and how their friend group has been together forever. She tells him about how Yixing is passionate about everything he does, one of the nicest and funniest people she knows and has Sehun laughing as she recounts all of the foolishness they’ve gotten into.

“Having fun?” Yixing asks, falling back and slipping a familiar arm around Sehun’s waist, resting gently and familiar as it has come to do since they began hanging out. Yixing is a touchy person. Sehun learned that fast.

Sehun doesn’t mind, instead smiling as he turns to the other. “Just been hearing from Victoria about you all.”

“Good things I hope?” Yixing says giving Victoria a look that seems to run along one of the many jokes they probably share.

“Don’t worry,” Victoria laughs. “I’ve been filling his head with lies. Telling him how you’re a nice person and a keeper.”

“Excellent,” Yixing says as he grins and looks back to Sehun. “As long as you’re thoroughly deluded, I’m happy.”

Sehun laughs. Yixing smiles. The sun shines through the leaves of the trees and scatters over the ground pleasantly as the group hikes up over ground and laughs and chats.

After a quick break for water, Victoria hops between Luhan and Yifan, leaving Sehun and Yixing to chat together as they follow. “Your friends are really nice,” Sehun tells Yixing as they walk.

“They’re a fun group,” Yixing says, smiling as he looks to those in front of them and their animated chatter. “I’m glad you could make it today, I almost didn't ask because I know you said you had some stuff going on.”

Sehun shakes his head, smiling and feeling genuinely happy. “No, I’m glad I could come,” he says quickly. “I didn’t really have any plans today and it’s nice to meet your friends.” His eyes drift towards the joking trio ahead of them and Yixing’s follow his gaze.

“Hurry up, slow pokes!” Luhan yells at them.

Yixing laughs. “Not all of us are blessed with your stamina, little deer.”

Luhan hollers back that everyone else is just lazy before tumbling back to slam into Yixing and latching onto him, hammering Sehun with random questions as he drapes over both of them. They get more and more ridiculous and eventually have everyone laughing as Yifan finally pulls Luhan off of Sehun and Yixing, telling him ‘you don’t need to know Sehun’s medical history’ before smiling kindly to Sehun.

By the time they reach the peak, looking out over the mountain scape and towards the distant columns and towers of Seoul’s buildings and skyline, it’s close to noon. Luhan immediately flops down and lies on his back, basking in the sun and refusing to get up. Victoria pulls out a few sandwiches and snacks as Yixing ends up tossing a roll of gimbap into Sehun’s lap with a smile before going to hand them to the others.

“Nice, isn’t it?” Victoria says as she comes up, bottle of water tapping against Sehun’s shoulder before she settles in beside him.

Sehun nods, swiping bangs from his face. He looks over Seoul and feels oddly calm and happy. “It’s really pretty,” Sehun says, looking over at Victoria. “Like a picture you think could never be real, but better. It makes you feel both small and yet bigger than everything all at once.” He squints, holding up a hand and making a small circle with his fingers. “I can fit my whole life into this circle right now,” he says, squinting with one eye closed as he looks towards Seoul through the circle in his fingers.

Victoria laughs beside him and Sehun sighs, settling his chin on his arms as they are folded up against his knees. “That’s an interesting way of feeling,” she says before her eyes shift. “What about you?”

Sehun turns to see Yixing settling down beside him and squinting over the city. “It’s like everyone is ants and I’m a boot,” he says, scrunching up his face. “Except I’m also an ant when I’m down there. I just forget I’m an ant when I’m up here.”

Victoria scoffs and shakes her head. “You say the weirdest stuff,” he says with a smile.

“This is new?” Yixing asks with a smile as he shuffles a bit, leaning back on his hands beside Sehun and relaxing in the warm sun. His feet knock against Sehun’s absently. Sehun doesn’t mind, pressing his face into his arms as he hides a smile into the warm fabric of his shirt sleeves.

Instead of answering, Victoria smiles and shakes her head, getting up to go and bother Luhan and Yifan. “It’s nice up here though,” Yixing continues, nudging Sehun with his knee as he lounges on the rocks beside him. “You can see everything and it’s just pretty. It smells like life and freedom. No one up here can judge you or stare at you in crowded streets. It’s a world where you’re allowed to just be.”

“It’s really relaxing,” Sehun agrees, nodding and looking back at Yixing. The breeze catches on his hair and ruffles it, brushing it back from his forehead as he squints to look at Sehun. “Thanks for asking me to come.”

“Of course.” Yixing’s smile is warmer than the sun against Sehun’s skin. And just as bright. “I’m happy you came. I like hanging out with you.” Sehun isn’t quite sure how to respond to that so he settles for leaning back himself, rocking slightly on the hard granite stone and looking back out over the view. “We should do this again,” Yixing says after a moment, looking out over the city in the sun. Sehun turns to look at him just as there is a loud burst of laughter behind them. Yixing’s eyes crinkle. “Just the two of us though.”

Something in Sehun’s chest clenches quietly and he shivers.  
  


* 

  
  
Sehun stumbles into his morning lecture late by five minutes, slipping into the vacant seat beside Soojung and panting slightly. She throws him a look that both demands an explanation and judges severely as she pulls her textbooks from the desk saved for him. “Where were you?” she hisses. “You’re never late. I had to sit through Taemin trying to force his way in here so he can copy off me all class.”

Breath still short, Sehun quickly drags out his notebooks, fumbling for a moment as he tries to calm is racing heart. “I overslept,” he says in swift explanation. Sehun sighs as he opens his book. “It happens okay. You do it all the time.”

“Yeah, but you don’t,” Soojung points out, jabbing him in the side with a pencil. “What were you doing? Staying up late having pillow talk with your roommate? Or was it anippang again?”

“I wasn’t playing anippang,” Sehun says, making sure to keep his voice low. “I was behind on an assignment for Psych. I needed to get it done before the weekend.”

The professor is rambling something about high class literature and poetic device. “Speaking of which,” Soojung says, scribbling a doodle into the margins of Sehun’s notebook. “What are you up to? We were thinking of going to play in Jamsil and maybe catch a movie. You up for it? Amber suggested Iron Man 3.”

“I already saw it,” Sehun says, looking up at the professor and trying to catch what he’s saying about the author.

Soojung is quiet and Sehun glances to her. She is staring at him with mild surprise. “When?” she asks. “Why didn’t we see it with you? I would have-“

“I saw it with Yixing,” Sehun says quickly, cutting her off before she can get huffy at him. “We saw it a week or so ago, nothing big. I’m sorry.”

Soojung watches him for a moment before her mouth curves into a smile and she nudges him in the shoulder. “I swear, we better keep an eye on you, Sehuna.” Sehun presses his lips together at the name to keep from smiling. “Or else we’ll lose you.”

“You’re not going to lose me,” Sehun tells her, this time poking her in the side with his pencil. “You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

“Drat,” Soojung says and fakes a huge sigh that has Sehun pushing her chair. She gasps and glares at him in playful indignation.

“Mr. Oh,” snaps through the classroom and Sehun straightens immediately, Soojung hiding her silent laughter in her hair as the professor glares at them from the front. “Is there something amusing you wish to share with the class?”

“No, sir,” Sehun says, back straight and working very hard not to nudge Soojung to calm down. “Nothing.” The professor gives him a pointed look before returning to the passage they’re going over.

“Way to be,” Sehun grumbles, sinking back into his seat and sighing, flipping his book open to the right page.

“So, this weekend though?” Soojung asks, finally calming enough to lean back over Sehun’s desk and draw a few stars and hearts at the corner of his paper. “You’re coming? Saturday?”

“I can’t,” Sehun says and Soojung stops in the middle of a squiggly flower. “I have plans.” Soojung raises an eyebrow and Sehun can feel the automatic flush begin to creep over his cheeks from when anyone pries or gives him that look that spells ‘spill’. Rather than answer, Sehun shuffles his papers and leans over his desk, frowning in concentration as he listens to the professor with his tongue between his teeth.

Beside him, Soojung just scoffs lightly to herself before going back to her own notes, mumbling something about ‘secret plans’ and ‘stupid’ as she scribbles doodles all over her own notebook. Sehun ignores her, instead gently pressing his lips together in concentration as he tries to focus on the professor.  
  


* 

  
  
“You,” Sunkyu says, sliding in beside him as Sehun has managed to wedge himself in the library for the afternoon on Thursday. “Are keeping secrets,” she finishes with a definite smile.

Sehun looks up, slightly startled by the unexpected presence of his friend. Amber had messaged him earlier, along with Jongin, asking if he had fallen off the face of the earth, and he had responded in kind. ‘Academic enlightenment~’ had been a fitting Kakao to both before Sehun buried himself in the periodicals.

Sehun has been here for about an hour and a half. He spent about forty minutes on his homework. The other forty are splayed out in words on his phone and the soft buzz of the device against the table, obvious in the library before he grabs it quickly to silence it with a small suppressed smile.

Sehun blinks. “What secrets?” he asks, looking up at Sunkyu as she sinks into the seat beside him and looks teasing. “You know I can’t keep secrets. I have the worst poker face.”

“Why can’t you come play with us on Saturday?” Sunkyu says, getting straight to the point and Sehun’s phone buzzes in his hand. He still has twenty problem sets to do before he can go to sleep with a clean conscience tonight. They’re not due until Monday but he wants them out of the way before the weekend.

“I have plans,” says Sehun, teeth swiftly dragging his lip between them to bite in nerves. “Sorry?”

Sunkyu hums gently, nodding her head. “What kind of plans?” she asks. “You have had a lot of plans lately, Mr. Oh.”

Sehun sighs, putting down his pencil and looking at Sunkyu with a small pout. “First Jinri yells at me for not being social enough and now you tell me I’m being too social?” he says in mock offence.

“Oh, come on,” Sunkyu says with a huffed laugh. “I’m allowed to wonder after my favorite dongsaeng,” she says before reaching forward and ruffing Sehun’s hair gently, making sure to brush it back into place almost immediately. “Besides, I’m curious to see who has you so tied up.”

Sehun bites his lip, trying to sort through the mess of everything that has been swimming about his mind the past few weeks. The easy smiles that pull from him, the excitement and the strange fluttering that always seems to find it’s way to the center of his chest and nestle there. Technically it makes no sense, no sense for Sehun to be so nervous about telling Sunkyu or Soojung or Jongin or any of his friends that he’s going to see Yixing again. That his Kakaotalk is mostly messages to and from the other that make him smile and warm. That his call log is painted with the same name over and over from talking late into the night.

Friendship with someone new isn’t something that should make him so anxious and excited at the same time. And yet that’s exactly what this is and he’s just as curious as he is nervous. Probably because this feels closer than any friendship he’s had before and the possibility of that has him hoping.

“Just a friend,” Sehun says, looking down at his notes and the numbers swim. When he looks up again, Sunkyu is watching him with her head tilted to the side, a contemplative smile on her face.

The soft laugh that greets him isn’t unkind. “You know, it’s okay,” Sunkyu says, her eyes gentle. Sehun frowns at this, feeling his stomach turn oddly. Sunkyu’s smile spreads and she leans forward, tapping Sehun’s hand with her fingers atop the table. “We’re just curious. But it’s okay.”

“What is?” Sehun asks, lips dry.

Sunkyu’s eyes widen for a second before they crinkle and she reaches forward, ruffling his hair again and earning a snuffling protest from the younger.  
  


* 

  
  
It’s warm, almost too warm and the beginnings of summer creep into the air in warm sticky fragrance as Sehun walks out of the subway and towards the exit. He’s not often in the northern part of Seoul, instead usually sticking close to Sincheon or the central area. But it’s nice, the change of scenery. A hand claps him on the back and Sehun turns, smile already on his face as Yixing skips into vision, smiling brightly as he tugs Sehun along.

“You’re early,” Yixing says brightly.

Sehun shifts. “Sorry,” he says automatically as he falls into step with Yixing and the other walks easily to somewhere Sehun doesn’t know. He just follows.

“Why are you apologizing?” Yixing asks, hand slipping from Sehun’s back to rest gently at his elbow and brush gently, not pulling or guiding but just there, a reassuring touch to remind Sehun he’s there. Sehun presses his lips together gently. “Don't apologize unless you do something wrong. Being early isn’t wrong. It’s nice.” His eyes crinkle. “More time together.”

Today hasn’t really been told to Sehun. He doesn’t know what they’re doing. Just that he’s meeting Yixing for a show or something and then spending time with the other for things that he’ll just ‘wait and see’.

“How was your week?” Yixing asks and Sehun has to let out a laugh.

“I’ve been talking to you all week?” Sehun points out and Yixing shrugs.

“Calls and Kakao don’t count. Especially when half the messages are just you typing kekeke.” Yixing smiles with a raised brow after this and Sehun knows it’s not said in the same way as when Jongin does. It’s just teasing. Amused and without the bite. Sehun ducks his head to laugh and Yixing’s arm slips around his waist, jostling him. “There’s that smile.”

Yixing listens. It’s something that Sehun never really expected, especially considering most people seem to stare when he rambles on about things, but Yixing does listen. Occasionally he’ll space off and Sehun will huff without the real anger and prod him, always in that small space he knows will dent when Yixing smiles a moment later and tells him ‘whoops,’ kicking gently under the table.

“Where are we going?” Sehun finally asks, looking around at the flashing lights and posters that all advertise shows and performances and faces look down in degrees of expression. Yixing just smiles before turning and hopping down a staircase.

It’s a comedy show. Yixing apparently knows one of the actors in the troupe and even if Yixing’s friend is barely out of university, Sehun still feels a bit in awe. Yixing pulls him to one of the front seats and sits him down, telling Sehun about the show and his friend and the practical music class he’s teaching next week.

The show is funny, more so than Sehun expected, catching himself laughing over and over, wheezing for air and his hands fly to his mouth to cover the embarrassing sound and how his face just does a little more than what normal people’s face do when they laugh. Barely twenty minutes in, just as Sehun starts laughing again and his hand moves to his face, a hand grabs it instead and pulls it down, lacing fingers swiftly and he jumps, turning in shock. Yixing is leaning close, face barely inches from his own and Sehun’s laughter traps itself in his throat.

“You don’t have to cover your laughter, Sehun,” Yixing says, tone kind and still with the traces of laughter from the show. “It’s fine. I like your laugh and your smile.”

Sehun can’t stop smiling for the rest of the show, the feeling of happiness bubbling in his chest as his hand remains warm and secure in Yixing’s. Sehun laughs and laughs and it’s so comfortable Sehun never wants it to leave.


	3. Chapter 3

Sehun doesn't know.

It's been almost two months. Two months of running around, Kakaotalk, phone calls, meeting up, hanging out, being surprised and Yixing forgetting his headphones and laughing it off. Two months of Sehun smiling more than he thought he would in his freshman year and the stress of university seems to melt away when he feels the soft touch at his back, his arm, his shoulder. When a gentle hand tugs him closer and whispers a joke into his ear while Yifan and Victoria argue over barbecue and Luhan shoves extra meat at him. Two months of Sehun being questioned by his friends where he is, of Jongin giving him raised looks and Sehun lying awake longer than he ever had before and staring at his phone.

Waiting for something to flash on the screen and Sehun is beginning to fully realize that this isn’t the same as watching movies with Jongin or joking around with Chanyeol and Jongdae. This isn’t the same. This anxious waiting and nervous happiness and the inexplicable smile that always finds it way onto his face. It’s exciting in a way that it never is in other cases and it scares Sehun.

It’s not the same and Sehun knows that. In other cases like this Sehun could ignore them. He could turn and walk away and hide his smiles and the way his breath caught and just being around another made him jittery. It was easy when they treated him like just another person, nothing special, and didn’t pull him close, laughing or settling quiet together, shoulders brushing and leaning in softly to spin stories with words over the waters of the Han. It was easier when Sehun knew that whatever might be sending warm skitters over his skin meant nothing to the other.

It’s harder when Sehun can’t pull away and hide, when instead Yixing pulls him right back with warm smiles and playful rough housing before tugging Sehun close. It’s harder when Yixing seems to look only at him but is friendly with everyone. It’s harder when Sehun still isn’t sure if one step closer will push Yixing away and Sehun will never see him again.

It’s been almost two months and Sehun is pretty sure that his feelings scare him.

“I want to meet him,” Jongdae says as they’re seated in the café, sipping drinks that he had bought after Sehun had pestered him after classes.

The smoothie catches in Sehun’s throat and he coughs. “What?”

“This guy,” Jongdae says, completely unconcerned for Sehun’s minor coughing attack. “The one you keep blowing me off for when I tell you to come listen to rehearsal. Yising?”

“Yixing,” Sehun says automatically and Jongdae’s mouth twitches into a smirk.

“Yeah,” Jongdae says, leaning back in his chair and eyeing Sehun in amusement. “That one. The one you ramble about when you don't realize it.” Sehun fights down the rise of heat in his cheeks.

“Why?” Sehun asks, clearing his throat as his voice catches.

“Because it’d be fun,” Jongdae says easily. “He seems nice. You seem to like him. It’d be fun. Expand the friendship circle. Why not?” Sehun’s throat is dry. He takes another sip of smoothie. “What about going out? All of us together? Meet in Hongdae for clubbing or something. Dinner before then drinks and whatever suits our fancy.”

Nervousness crawls up his throat and settles there as Sehun agrees with a bit of trepidation and Jongdae grins. It stays there, pulling at him as his phone buzzes and Yixing tells him an octopus needs toys in it’s tank because they get bored. Yixing thinks it’s cute.

Yixing also tells Sehun he thinks he’s like an octopus.

Sehun’s heart flutters and he shoves his phone into his pocket after typing back a swift response like _huhu but I can’t fit into small spaces :’c._

The hand at his shoulder has Sehun jumping, pencil falling from his fingers as he looks up into Amber’s surprised face. “You okay there?” she asks and Sehun sighs, eyes closing and fingers pressing into them, trying to push aside the mess that twists into his thoughts.

“Fine,” Sehun says, dropping his hands from his face and looking up at her with a tired smile as she slips to sit opposite him. “Just thinking.”

“It looks like hard work,” Amber says with an evaluating look and Sehun’s lower lip pushes out automatically. “C’mon, you’ve been so smiley lately. Where did that Sehun go to be replaced by jumping Sehun who frowns? Did something happen?”

Yes? No? It has been happening. Someone has been happening. Sehun is both tired and excited and nervous and feels sick.

“What are you doing this Saturday?” Sehun asks, looking up at Amber and his heart pounds.

Amber looks back with a curious look and her fingers tap gently on the edge of the table as Sehun’s hands twist in his lap out of sight.

**‘You don’t need to fit into small spaces to be like an octopus.’**

**‘Then why am I an octopus?’**

**‘Because you like to play and are curious and get into things and I think octopuses are cute.’**

**‘they’re cute...’**

**‘And so are you.’**

Sehun’s hands shake.

Chanyeol calls him cute. Sunkyu calls him cute. Jongdae calls him bossy sometimes but cute. Amber even calls him cute, right before she pinches his cheeks and coos in an exaggerated manner. But Yixing hasn’t really called him cute yet and it’s not the same.

The bubbly feeling in his chest seems to press so hard it almost hurts.

**‘Are you busy on Saturday? Some of my friends want to hang out. Maybe you and your friends can all come. It would be fun~ Hongdae?’**

Breaths come short over the span of time between hitting send and when the phone buzzes gently over ‘advanced calculus’ and lights up with a Kakao notification.

Hongdae, as per usual, is alive and throbbing with energy on Saturday night. Dinner is loud, Yixing, Luhan, Yifan, and Victoria greeting with yells and Luhan throwing a hug around Sehun before whooping loudly. Yixing simply smiles as Sehun makes introductions, fumbling slightly as a hand settles against the small of his back just as it always does and he nearly forgets to mention Tao.

“You suck at introductions,” Tao grumbles to him as Yixing shifts over, chair scraping as he pulls Sehun down beside him and bows gently to the girls as they sit down. Sehun smiles apologetically at his friend before Sunkyu launches seamlessly into conversation, smiling brightly and getting everyone talking.

“We ordered ahead,” Yixing tells him, leaning up to speak to Sehun and Sehun automatically leans down, head dipping closer to hear Yixing despite how he can hear him anyway. It’s habit, especially when Yixing’s hand presses lightly at the back of his neck just so. It feels warm without being uncomfortable.

“That’s fine,” Sehun says, pulling back to look at Yixing. “We were a little late because Tao’s lecture ran over.” He looks around the table, watching as the group all chats and goes through the initial ‘get to know you’ stages as Yixing’s hand occasionally brushes against his under the table. It's strange, though not at all, to see then all together. For the first time both friend groups are meeting. It’s nice.

Their food comes quickly, accompanied by drinks that everyone seems to want except Yixing, who passes up with a smile and Luhan laughs at before getting challenged by Yifan and Jongdae both. “I don’t drink,” Yixing tells Sehun who raises a curious eyebrow.

“Not even a little?”

“I don’t take alcohol well,” Yixing says as Yifan leans in, joining in the conversation as Luhan yells at Jongdae to finish his shot.

“He’s dead after one drink,” Yifan says with a smile to Yixing, whose face drops.

“Hey, you don’t see me spilling your secrets.”

“You told Sehun after he knew me ten minutes my facial care habits,” Yifan points out with a raised look as Sehun snorts a laugh into his rice, coughing slightly at the memory of Yifan’s horrified face. “In elaborate detail.”

“So many toners,” Yixing says, shaking his head slightly as if still in awe. “Honestly, it’s amazing.”

“You make it sound so much more impressive than it is,” Yifan sighs as he grabs a bit of kimchi with his chopsticks.

Yixing shrugs. “I use soap. Anymore more extensive is a miracle.”

Dinner finishes late and with a lot of loud voices, Luhan grabbing Yixing and Sehun leading them forcefully from the restaurant in the direction of the club he has single handedly decided upon for them. The club is loud, music blasting from the speakers and Luhan almost immediately pulls everyone he can onto the dance floor, laughing and tugging Yixing around. Sehun nearly follows, the smile and pull of fingers against his wrist dragging him forward before Victoria throws an arm around him and pulls him off to get drinks.

“I’m okay,” Sehun says, shaking her off a bit as she laughs brightly and leans over the bar, waving down one of the handsome bartenders. “I don’t need any more drinks.”

“No,” Victoria says with a laugh. “But I do.” She grins before tapping him gently on the shoulder and leaning into him. “Besides I wanted to chat.”

Sehun swallows, the confined heat of the club and the fact that they have to yell to be heard over the music making his head hurt around the fringes. “Chat?”

“Yep,” Victoria says, shaking her hair back. “About you.” Sehun swallows. “And…” Victoria pauses, her brows furrowing slightly.

The reason why comes only when Sehun feels a soft touch to his arm, pulling him from Victoria as he turns, heart jumping. Bright eyes, a smile, that stupid dimple and flushed cheeks. “Want to dance with us?” Yixing asks.

Sehun swallows around the lightness in his stomach and the pulse in his ears. This isn't the same as dancing with Jongin when they’re bored and Sehun puts on Usher to annoy his friend. This isn’t the same as Tao dragging him out to dance on random nights or when Jinri laughs and hooks him to spin and they fool around. This is tripping over feet breathlessly and being swept up in movement that Sehun can barely follow though he tries. He tries hard because he wants to just as much as he wants to run before it’s something it’s not.

But then there is it. A smile bright and kind and hands that pull and twist around and even if everyone is there, Sehun can’t think of them. Instead it’s Yixing laughing at his footwork and teasing and softly guiding him around to match rhythm. Instead it’s tapered fingers brushing against his wrists and crinkled eyes that never judge him for laughing and tell him it’s okay to laugh out loud.

Sehun’s heart is pounding. Because Yixing maybe isn’t just like this with everyone and perhaps Sehun is special. Because Sehun wants to find out.

“I never knew you could dance,” Sehun says, leaning down to shout to Yixing, voice drowned in the bass and music.

Yixing shifts automatically closer, head tilting to him and his hand rests warmly against Sehun’s side, pulling him closer. “I have a lot of talents you don’t know yet,” is said loudly back, cheeks barely brushing as they’re so close.

Yet.

Sehun should pull back. Sehun shouldn’t pull back. Sehun doesn’t want to pull back. This probably isn’t-

“Stop flirting you two,” Sunkyu says, laughing as she drifts by and Luhan grabs Yixing, laughing loudly as his arm hooks around Yixing’s neck and he hauls him to the side. Sehun’s heart slams into his throat as Sunkyu’s eyes twinkle at him and she laughs.

“We’re not,” Sehun says quickly, leaning towards her. They’re not. At least Sehun doesn’t-

Or they are, and Sehun is just too wrapped up in his own thoughts to admit it.

Sunkyu’s eyes widen as she looks back at Sehun with a vaguely surprised expression. “Yes, you are,” she says. A slight jerk of the head and suddenly Sunkyu isn’t looking at him, her eyes instead on Yixing as he and Luhan laugh and maneuver around. “Well, at least he is.”

Breath catching, Sehun stares at her. Sunkyu’s expression falters for a moment before understanding seems to dawn on her face. “Sehun, you-” she begins but Sehun is already stepping away. Turning from her, he pushes through the crowd of people to the small scattered tables by the bar. Sehun stumbles slightly as he sits into a chair and briefly closes his eyes.

There is a soft touch at Sehun’s shoulder. “You okay, kiddo?”

“No?” Sehun tries cracking open his eyes.

A hand brushes his bangs from his face as Victoria studies him carefully, frowning in concern even as her cheeks are tinged pink. “What happened?”

Sehun has no idea how to explain this. What he’s feeling. What he has been feeling. His heart skipping beats and how his thoughts are a mess and being with someone who makes him happy also intimidates him. How do you explain that?

“I-“ Sehun can’t talk, the sounds dying in his mouth because this isn’t rambling about school or what he likes or doesn’t like. This isn’t reciting and rattling off information on circuits and math equations. This is more complicated and in a field where he has very little experience.

“Did you two fight?”

Sehun blinks. “Who?”

Victoria blinks before frowning. “You and Yixing.”

No. They didn’t fight.

They don’t fight. Yixing just smiles and jokes and is kind and funny and forgets things and Sehun is happy. Sehun is happy and Yixing seems happy and Sehun doesn’t want to lose that by stepping over the line.

Shaking his head, Sehun looks down at his hands just as Sunkyu comes up and slips a hand over his back. “You didn’t know?”

No. Sehun did know. That’s what’s got his heart pounding. Sehun did know he just didn’t want to see it. Because that makes this real.

Sehun shakes his head again. Victoria is giving Sunkyu a confused look.

A phone full of text messages that last late into the night. Weeks of smiling to himself during class at the plans for the coming weekend. Impromptu meetings for coffee or snacks. Dinner on a Wednesday just because. Laughing at jokes and hands held in a comedy show and gentle touches that grew from simple to sending flutters to his chest and happiness that seemed to always swell upon just thinking. Forgotten headphones and comfortable silences and dazed expressions and random rough housing that always ended in kind touches.

Sehun knew but didn’t know and still is a little lost somewhere around the feeling of a hand at the small of his back pressing quietly but there, just there. 

“It’s okay, you know,” Sunkyu says, leaning in close and wrapping her small hand around Sehun’s. Sehun looks at her in the dark shadows of the club and forces his breathing to even out. She smiles at him, brushing his hair from his face. “It’s not just you.” Her eyes are kind. “He likes you, too.”

Breathing skips and that nervous happy bubble shakes.

“Are you kidding?” Victoria says, seeming to catch on as she leans in and laughs slightly. Sehun turns to her and she is giving him a bit of an incredulous look. “He never shuts up about you.” It’s not an unkind comment and part of him calms from the nervous hesitation.

“But-“

“He makes you happy, Sehun,” Sunkyu says and Sehun stops, looking at her. Because of all things, that is true. Of all things, Yixing makes him happy with his smiles and jokes and the way he seems to see Sehun for Sehun.

The eyes of his friends on him, lacking judgment or scorn, Sehun thinks that maybe he’s been hesitating long enough when so many things say ‘go’.

It doesn’t take long after talking that Sehun feels an arm drape around his shoulders and a warm body settles into his side. Yixing is slightly breathless, smiling at him with that same brightness and Sehun shoves aside his caution and just leans into the touch, comfortably warm and happy. “You look lonely,” Yixing says, fingers curling to pull him close.

Winding his own arm around the slim line of Yixing’s waist, strong and stable, Sehun smiles back. “Not anymore,” he replies even as the words seem cheesy and stupid.

Yixing blinks at him and for a split second Sehun thinks that maybe Sunkyu and Victoria had been wrong. He, himself, had been wrong. That this is all just-

Sehun sees more than hears the way that Yixing laughs softly, his eyes crinkling under sweat-damp bangs, and a breathless rush speeds through him. Yixing curls a hand up to cup the back of his head and pull him down, just resting their foreheads together. It’s not close, not enough to cause blatant stares, but it is enough to send a heart pounding and a spirit soaring as Yixing’s fingers find his and pull them together.

No one says anything, which comes as a small but welcome surprise. Jongin stares a bit and Jongdae cocks his head to the side, blinking with a frown before Luhan drags him off to demand if his chicken legs can dance. Even he and Yixing don't really say anything, instead laughing and dancing with everyone as the night goes on.

And it’s nice. Somehow it feels just like this is how it’s always been, dancing closer than before, fingers brushing and linking as lips smile, eyes crinkled at the sheer fact that this is now. A light brush of a hand, the tug of a shirt, and fingers that never actually leave each other, always lingering. Yixing doesn’t dance with anyone else. Neither does Sehun, instead smiling and laughing unrestricted as the darkness of the club hides the brilliant happy flush against his cheeks.

It isn’t until later when Jinri is yawning and Jongin is lost between randomly dancing and leaning half asleep against the wall that Sunkyu rounds them up to go to bed.

“Are you busy tomorrow?” Sehun asks in a rush, still feeling slightly heady from the evening as they walk into the cool night air.

Yixing blinks up at him, pushing his hair from his face. “No?”

“Good,” Sehun says, his hand feeling warm as it wraps around Yixing’s smaller one and that fluttering begins in his chest again. “Can I steal you for the day?”

Yixing looks slightly dazed for a moment, as if turning over in his mind if he is, indeed, free the following day. He doesn’t pause at the phrasing. Finally he says “meet at eleven?”

“Perfect,” Sehun says and, before he can think, leans down swiftly to press a kiss to Yixing’s cheek still flushed from the heat of the club. He pulls back, face burning to see Yixing looking at him, his eyes wider than usual and mouth parted. Sehun bites into his lip nervously.

Then Yixing is reaching up swiftly, brushing fingers into the tendrils of hair at the back of Sehun’s head and pulling in to press his lips against Sehun’s, the gentle contact sending a pleasant tingle over Sehun’s skin that lingers at his mouth. He pulls back with a soft but definite smile.

Sehun feels slightly giddy. It’s not a familiar feeling, but it’s certainly not unpleasant. He could get used to feeling giddy.

“See you tomorrow?”

Sehun nods, ducking his head to try to hide the wide smile on his face. Happy. This is happy. This is impossibly excessively unrestrictedly happy. His fingers slip from Yixing’s as he and the others bid them goodnight, walking back to Honggik as Tao and Jongdae stumble slightly, Soojung mumbling about taxis.

“You look happy,” Sunkyu comments, hooking her arm with Sehun as they walk and Jongin nudges into his side occasionally, stumbling and blinking tired.

Sehun turns to her, smiling because he can’t stop. “I am.”

**‘I hope you got home alright~ Sleep well, Sehuna. I’ll see you in the morning.’**

  
  


* 

  
  
“So, we’re a thing?”

It’s the most awkward question Sehun has ever asked in his entire life, heart in his throat as he sits opposite Yixing in the small nook of a café.

An eyebrow raises. “A thing?”

Heart pounds as he shrugs, fingers twisting atop the table. “Why not?”

A hand closes over his own, prying his fingers from their tangle to lace together in surety. “Why not. I could get used to being a thing with you.”  
  


* 

  
  
The spring comes early. Warm weather creeping into the air and twisting with the promise of ending winters lasting chill over the city and white blossoms fall like snow, soft and gentle to the earth. Jongin squints in the sunlight, hands shoved in his pockets and snapback pressing his hair flat to his head as he walks beside Sehun and looks around lazily.

“I still don’t get why I had to come with you,” Jongin says, glancing over at Sehun with a bored expression. A year has made a bit if a difference on Jongin. Less shy, easier to laugh and smile, he’s still Jongin but more himself than he had been the previous year.

“Because you’re my best friend and that’s what best friends do,” Sehun answers, punching him lightly in the arm and earning a frown as Jongin kicks at his feet. “Plus all the girls are on dates.”

“I got the shit end of this deal,” Jongin grumbles, sighing and looking suffering as he pulls out his phone.

“You could just call someone, you don’t have to stay the whole time,” Sehun points out.

Jongin just hums, lower lip already pulled between his teeth and being chewed gently as he types into his phone and half listens to Sehun. Sehun doesn’t mind though, instead smiling and looking back around the crowded streets of Yeouido as people of all shapes and sizes and ages wander here and there. Couples with cameras posing for each other and snapping selcas with varying degrees of accuracy. Families with strollers loaded with food and drink wandering slowly as teenage boys and girls laugh and romp.

Sehun smiles, the white petals drifting to the ground bringing a lightness and dreamy feeling to the warm spring season as he and Jongin walk. No one pays them much attention and Sehun doesn’t really look around much. His eyes flicker over the heads of people and the vendors who smile and hand over potato snacks, rice cakes, and ice cream to eager hands.

The sounds of a guitar and soft sweet voice drift over to them and Sehun’s smile breaks wide and happy, Jongin looking up with raised brows as Sehun tugs him gently.

A young man stands at the side of the road, a small crowd of people around him, his voice gentle and soothing on the air. His fingers work expertly over a well-used and loved fretboard, eyes closed as a melody twines through the air. Sehun smiles, head bobbing to the music as he watches, Jongin beside him and with a small grin himself. “I’ll see you two later,” is murmured to his ear a moment later as Jongin slips away, vanishing into the crowd.

The crowd of people, ranging from excited middle school girls who are all taking pictures and videos with their phones to young families, claps gently and offers smiles and words of encouragement as the song ends and eyes open. The young man smiles as his eyes sweep over the group, lingering on Sehun and flashing a small wink which has Sehun’s simply smiling wider in return.

“Thank you,” the musician says, doing a small bow with a sweeping hand before straightening and prefacing the next song as his last for the day. There is a small cry of disappointment before he begins.

“You play really well,” Sehun says, waiting for a bit after the busker finishes and has said his thanks for the tips dropped into the hard guitar case on the ground. Dark eyes meet his with a smile as Sehun tosses in the mess of coins he dug out of his wallet.

“I’m glad you think so,” Yixing says, smile tugging at his lips as his dimple presses gently. “I’m done for the day. Are you busy?”

“I’m meeting someone actually,” Sehun says, sighing as he tucks his hands into his pockets and giving Yixing a pointed look. “He’s really talented, handsome and funny, though he forgets stuff sometimes. So who knows if he’ll be on time.”

“Sounds like a keeper,” Yixing says with a suggestive look as he gathers the money in his guitar case before gently laying the instrument into safety. He straightens, brushing bangs once short that now barely brush his forehead.

“He is,” Sehun says, smiling fondly as Yixing straightens, guitar slung over his shoulder before looking to Sehun.

“So are you,” Yixing says, throwing him a grin before setting off, arm winding easily around Sehun’s waist as he pulls him along, Sehun’s own wrapping around Yixing’s shoulders and pulling him close, leaning down to press his face into the crown of soft hair.

It’s hard to imagine that just a year ago Sehun had to be dragged out of his room, sighing and timid at the notion of walking alone and without someone beside him along the streets lined with cherry blossoms. Hard to imagine a time when he didn’t have someone with fingers to lace with his with natural ease and grace, and he couldn’t laugh without covering his face. A time when the idea of love was fantastic and his fingers twisted in nerves over small things like a smile and a message waiting on his phone.

Walking now, held to a side and holding too, Sehun smiles, warmth spreading through him that has been present all year with or without the coming of spring. He smiles at the warmth which still supports a happiness which he hasn’t lost since he found it.

The gentle rain of white soft petals around them, swirling in the air is ethereal, beautiful and sweet, like the soft press of lips to lips and soft laughs hushed into skin, eyes crinkled in happiness. They’re simple like the brush of fingers over skin, a smile traded across a room, a soft whisper to the ear when no one is looking that says ‘I love you’ without need for preamble or embarrassment. A new life and a new year of new things and new discoveries together.

“You look happy today,” Yixing says, fingers pressing into Sehun’s side, gently teasing.

Sehun smiles. “That’s because I am,” he says.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the sncj_bigbang challenge in 2013.


End file.
